Machine for creasing and cutting box-blanks.



K. 1;. HERMAN. MACHINE FOR GREASING AND CUTTING BOX BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1909.

Patented Sept. 10,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1909.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

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K. I. HERMAN.

MACHINE FOR OREASING AND CUTTING BOX BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1909.

K. I. HERMAN.

MACHINE FOR GREASING AND CUTTING BOX BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1909.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

KARL I. HERMAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR CBEASIId'G AND CUTTING BOx-BLANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 10, 1912. Applicationfiled July 22,

1909. Serial No. 508,903.

. Cuttin BoX-Blanks,'of which the following is a fu 1, clear, concise,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming a part of this specifi-v cation.

My invention relates to machines for creasing and cutting blanks to beused in the manufacture of paper boxes, and consists 'in the novelcombinations ofparts and features -of construction described in thefollowingspe'cification and pointed out in i the appended clalms.

In order that my invention may be fully understood I have illustrated anembodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, but it is to beunderstood that variations may be made from the construction illus-'chine; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine; Fig. 4 is a fragmentalsectional plan taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an inverted planof the left hand end of the creaser beam showing the location of thechase thereupon and the position of the knives in the chase; Fig. 6 is afragmentary enlarged section upon the line 6--6, Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is anenlarged detail view of the knife retaining clamp; Fig. 8 is a sectionon line 8-8, Fig. 7 Fig. 9 an enlarged detail view of the end of one ofthe knives .Fig. 10 shows a portion of a blank after having been creasedand cut'by the machine; and Fig. 11 shows a complete blank creased andout, ready for folding to form a box.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer tolike parts throughout the several figures, the bed 10 of the machine, ismounted upon suitable legs 11 and is provided at each end with a frontguide post 12 and a rear guide post 13, in the opposing surfaces ofwhich are formed slide ways 14 for reoelvlng the vslides 15,-which carrybetween them the icreaser beam 16. The slides 15. are retained j'inplace in the slide ways 14 so as to be capable of a reciprocatingmovement therein, by means of plates 17 secured to .the faces of thefront and rear guide posts 12 and 13. Gibs 18 are inserted between theedgesof the slides 15' and the guide surfaces f of the front ide posts12, a number ,of set screws 19 eing provided which pass jthroughtheguide posts 12- and engage at their ends against the gibs 18. Bytightening the set screws 19 the gibs 18 may be moved inward in order totake up any wear of the slides 15 which may occur in the course of useof the machine.

The creaser beam 16, which is channel- 'shaped in cross section, ismounted between the slides 15 and therefore participates in theirreciprocatory movement, the beam bemg secured in place by means of bolts20 which pass through the slides and. enter the creaser beam is securedby means of studs 21, the creaser blade 22 (Figs. 1, 2 and 6), -whichextends somewhat below the lower edge of the beam. The holes in thecreaser blade through which the studs 21 pass are somewhat enlarged(Fig. 6) so that a slight upward or downward adjustment of the blade maybe made when desired.

Set screws 22 are mounted in suitably positioned lugs formed on thecreaser beam and engage with their ends against the upper edge of theblade 22. Theses set screws 22 serve as a ga e and render it possible toaccurately adjust the creaser blade as to its vertical position abovethe bed of the machine. They also provide a rear abutment for thecreaser blade and prevent slipping during the operation of the machine.

The bed 10 is formed with a groove 23 extending longitudinally along tsupper surface and located immediately below the blade 22. In this g oove23 is removably mounted a die 24 having a slot 25 therein so the beam 16is lowered during its reciprocating movement, whereby a crease will beformed in any material which may be inserted between the die 23 and theblade.

The blade 22 is provided with a thickened portion 26 at its upper edgeand the die 24 1s provided with a second slot 27 in the face disposedthat the blade 22 will enter it when ends of the beam. To the front faceof the opposite to the slot 25 so that when it is desired to create awider crease or to form a crease in a material thicker than the usual;the blade may be removed and replaced with the thickened portion 26downward, the die being also removed and reversed so that its wider slot27 is uppermost. By this means it is possible to quickly change themachine so as to produce a widercrease without the necessity of keepingat hand a number of extra parts In order that the blank to be creasedmay be properly positioned in the machine before each creasingoperation, gages 28 are provided, one of which is shown as being shorterthan the other in order to provide sufficient space upon the under sideof the beam for the mounting of the knife supporting chase. These gagesare capable of adjustment to provide for the creasing of blanks ofdifferent sizes and, as they are similar in construction, a descriptionof one of them will suffice. Each gage is provided with a. shank 29adapted to slide in a groove 30 extending transversely of the bed 10. Inorder to provide for a sufiicient amount of movement of the gages 28,the .bed is laterally extended by means of brackets 31 into which thegrooves 30 are continued. Suitably spaced bolt holes 32 are formedthrough the metal of the bedand brackets at the center of the grooves30, into any one of which holes a bolt 33 may be inserted which passesthrough an elongated slot 34 formed in the shank 39. By placing the bolt33 in'the proper one of the holes 32 and sliding the shank the requireddistance relatively to the bladethe gage may be set at any desiredposition relatively to the -reaser blade.

The shank 29 of each ofthe gages 28 is provided with a finger 29' soarranged that when the gage is adjusted forward or back ward the fingerwill move over a graduated scale 29 which is provided adjacent the edgeof each of the grooves 30. By this means it is possible to readilyadjust the gages to make a crease at any desired distance from the edgeof the blank without the necessity of experimenting several times beforefinally fixing the gage in position, as is necessary with most of themachines at present on the market.

An adjustable end gage 35 is provided against which the end of the blankbeing creased may be held in order to insure proper longitudinalposition of the blank. The gage 35 is formed with aslot 36 similar tothe slots 34. of the gages 28 and in this slot is secured a bolt 37which may be inserted in any one of a number of bolt holes 38 formed inthe bed 10, according to the position at which it is desired that thegage 35 be placed.

The gages 28 will sometimes be moved close up to thecreaser blade, andin order to prevent damage stop pins'39 are provided upon the front ofeach'gage (Fig. 6) which strike against the die 24 and prevent the gagefrom being accidentally moved close to the creaser blade than is safe.

It will often, also, be necessary to make creases at a very slightdistance from the edge of the blank. When this is done the gages will belocated directly beneath the creaser beam, and therefore, in order torevent the'creaser beam from striking and breaking the gages, the rearpartof the lower face of the beam 16 is cut out to form a depression 40.This depression extends to the rear edge of the creaser beam andprovides sufficient room beneath the latter for the gages. above theleft hand end of the left hand gage leaving a platen at the left handend of the creaser beam for receiving the knife supporting chase, thecreaser beam being at this point rearwardly extended by means of abracket 41 whereby sufiicient room is provided for receiving the chase.

The case 42 in which the cutting knives are mounted is secured to thelower face of the creaser beam at the left hand end of the same and isheld in position by means of beveled studs 43 and a bolt 44 having atits lower end'a beveled head 45, the stud 43 and head 45 engaging overthe edges of the chase, which are beveled. The bolt 44 passesthrough-the metal of the creaser beam and is provided, at its upper end,with a nut 46 and, at its lower end, with a pin 47 which enters acorresponding slot in the creaser beam and prevents turning of the bolt.The chase is mounted upon the beam by pushing it forward against thecreaser blade, its beveled edges engaging beneath the studs 43 and thehead 45 of the bolt 44. The nut 46 of the bolt 44 may then be tightenedwhereby the head 45 will be drawn against the edge of the chase, thelatter b ing thus secured in position.

The machine is illustrated as being adjusted to form atone operation,the crease 48 (Fig. 10), a diagonal cut 49, and two transverse cuts 50and 51, the end of'the cut 49 striking the crease 48 at a point thereonseparated from the end of the blank by a distance equal to the distancebetween the crease 48-and the parallel edge of the blank. Kn1ves 52, 53and 54 (Fig. 5) are secured in the chase 50 and make the cuts 49, 50 and51 respectively. The knives 53 and 54 may be secured in position in thechase by means of wooden blocks and wedges in the ordinary manner. It isnecessary, however, in order that the cuts illustrated may be formed,that the knife 52 should extend over the side of the chase to the'outeredge thereof, in order that the end ofthe knife may abut against thecreaser blade and form a cut The depression 40 ceases which will extendto the crease formed by the blade. In order that this may be effected,the knife 52 is formed with a cut tion 56 at its front edge over whichthe narrowed end of theknife may be placed. In order to secure the endof the knife 52 surfaces beveled'to the angle at which the knife 52 isset. The blocks 57 and 58 are held in place by screws which enter screwholes 59 formed in the cutaway portion-56 of the chase and pass throughelongated slots formed'in the blocks. By this means it is possible toshift the blocks to hold the knife 52 in any desired position in thechase. This position varies, of course, with the distance between thecrease 48 and the edge of the blank.

Situated immediately below the chase 42 is a hardened steel plate 60against which the knives strike in cutting the blank. This plate 'isattached to the bed of the machine by means of screws 61 and may bereadily removed when desired. When the knives have become worn, or whenfor some other reason the knives do not strike sufiiciently firmlyagainst the plate 60, the latter may be removed and replaced after asheet of paper or the like has been inserted between it and the bed ofthe machine. means slight adjustment of the height of the. plate 60relatively to the knives may be.

made. Greater adjustment may be effected by bodily changing the distancebetween the creaser beam and the bed. Means for-effecting this will behereinafter described.

The mechanism for imparting the 'necessary up and down reciprocatingmotion to the beam, in the construction illustrated, is as follows:Mounted in hearings in the legs 11 is a rotating shaft 62 which derivesitsv motion from a driven shaft 63 by means of a gear 64 engaging apinion 65 'upon the shaft 63. The outer ends of the shaft 62 are formedwith crank pins 66 upon which the connecting rod heads 67 are rotatablymounted. The construction of the connecting .rods and related parts isthe same at both ends of the machine and a description of those at oneend will-be suflicient. Threaded .into each of the heads 67' is. thelower end of the connecting rod 68, the upper end of which screws intoahead 69,

rotatably supported upon a pin 70 carried by 60 the end of the creaserbeam. This pin 70 is preferably formed" of forged steel and forced intothe end of the creaser beam by hydraulic pressure.

The threads at one end of the connecting 65 rod are right-handed and atthe other end By this are left-handed, so that by turning the connectingrod in one direction or the other, the creaser beam may be raised orlowered relatively to the bed of the machine; To allow such turning tobe conveniently effected a nutportion 71 is formed at the middle of theconnecting rod, In order that when the posit-ion of the creaser beamrelative to the machine bed has been finally determined, the connectingrod 71 may be locked in position, lock nuts 72 areprovided at the upperand lower ends of the connecting rod.

It will be seen from the above that, power being supplied to the shaft.62 by the shaft 63, the crank pins 66, in turning, will com-- municatean up and .down motion to the connecting rods and thus to the creaserbeam, which, as has been stated, is attached to the slides 15. When, byreason of wear of the knives or for any other reason, it is necessary toalter the distance between the creaser beam and the bed, this may bedone by loosening the lock nuts 72 and turning the connecting rods to asufiicient extentto effect the vertical adjustment desired. It mayhappen that such vertical adjustment would only be necessary onlaccountof the knives being eithertoo. long'or too short, the position of thecreaser blade being correct. The

result of this would be that when the height of the creaser beam hadbeen changed to suitthe knives, the distance between the lower edge ofthe creaser blade 22 and the die would be either too great ortoo small.This may then be corrected by adjusting the height of the creaser bladeby loosening the studs 21 and adjusting the set screws 22". It will thusbe seen that three adjustments are rendered possible, that is, (1)slight adjustment of the distance between the knives and the cuttingplate, by removing the cutting plate and inserting a sheet of paper orthe like, (2) adjustment of the creaser beam relative to the bed bymanipulating the con: necting rods 68 and (3) vertical adjustment of thecreaser blade by loosening the studs 21 and manipulating the set. screws22. By properly choosing between the above methods of adjustment it ispossible to obtain any desired relation between the positions of theknives, the creaser blade, and the bed of the machine.

The creaser beam and the parts supportedprovide counterweighting meansso that the upward movement of the, creaser beam may be helped and thedownward movement retarded. To this end brackets 73 are bolted to theinner sides of the front and rear guide pivotally supported levers 74,to the inner posts 12 and 13' and in these brackets are links 77 withthe slides 15, which are each provided with a lug 78 to which the linksare connected.

A clutch is rovided for connectin and disconnecting t e belt pulley andthe riven shaft 63. This clutch is adapted to be operated by a pivotedarm 79, the upper end of which is hinged to a bar 80 which is slidablymounted in the upper ends of the cover plates 17 for the front guideposts 12, which latter are extended upward for that purpose. In order tostop or start the machine the clutch may be operated by manually pushingthe bar 80 to the .right or left. By reason of the momentumof the partsof the machine and of the fly wheel 81 on the shaft 63, the machinewould ordinarily continue moving for a considerable time after theclutch had been thrown out unless means were provided for preventing itfrom doing so. ately the clutch has been thrown out, a brake is providedwhich comprises a shoe 82 arranged to be forced against the periphery ofthe fly wheel 81' by the lever 83 upon which the shoe is mounted. Thelever 83 is provided at its outer end with a treadle 84 which themanipulator of, the machine may actuate with his foot after the clutchhas been thrown out. A spring 85 holds the shoe 82 normally out ofcontact with the periphery of the fly wheel.

The operation of the machine to produce a blank similar to that shown inFig. 11 is as follows: The operator places the blank to becreased upon ashelf 86 provided for the purpose, and, while the creaser beam is raisedby the connecting rods 68, he quickly pushes the blank into positionbeneath the creaser blade and cutting knives. In order that the blankmaybe properly positioned, one side thereof is pushed against the gages 28and the other side against the end gage The creaser beam in its downwardmovement forms the crease 48 and the cuts 49, 50 and 51 as describedabove, the appearance of the blank with the crease and cuts thus formedbeing as shown in Fig. 10. The blank is then withdrawn, turned through aright angle, and quickly replaced beneath the creaser beam against thegages 28 and 35 with the result that a second crease and series of cutsis formed. The operation is repeated two more times, the blank thenhaving the appearance shown in Fig. 11 and being ready for folding toform a box. The material bounded by the cuts 50 and 5i, if it has notalready fallen out, may

In order to stop the machine immedi-- gages and the position ofthe'knives in the chase, which may be done in a very short time, themachine may be quickly adjusted to cut blanks of a different size and toform the creases at a greater or smaller distance from the edge of theblank, the posit-ion of the cuts being of course varied correspond-.forms of box without exceeding the scope fof my invention, as definedby the appended 'claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a box blank creasing and.- cutting machine, a bed, a widenedcreaser beam reciprocably mounted relativel to said bed, said beamhaving a recess ormed therein and extending to the rear edge thereof, adie carried by said bed, a creaser blade carricd by said beam andlocated above said die, a knife'carried by said beam, and an adjustablegage for determining the position of the blank relatively to the creaserblade.

2. In a box blank creasing and cutting machine, a bed, a die carried bsaid bed, an adjustable gage for determining the position of the blankrelatively to the die, a. chase, a knife carried by said chase, awidened beam havinga recess formed in its lower face above said gage andhaving a platen for receiving said chase, and a creaser blade carried bysaid beam and located above said die.

3. In a box blank creasing and cutting machine, a creaser beam, acreaser blade carried thereby, a chase having one of its edges beveledlocated against said blade, and a bolt passing through said beam andhaving a beveled bead for engaging over the beveled edge of said chaseand holding the chase against the lower surface of said beam.

4. In a box blank creasing and cutting machine, a bed, guide postscarried by said bed, slides mounted. in said guide posts, a creaser beammounted between said slides, levers pivoted between their ends to said;posts and pivoted at their outer ends to said slides, and counterweightscarried by the inner ends of said levers.

- 5. In a box blank creasing and cutting machine, a chase having oneside reduced in thickness, and a knife carried by said chase andprojecting over said reduced side.

6. In a box blank creasing and cutting machine, a chase having one sidereduced in thickness, and a knife carried by said chase, said knifebeing formed with a narrowed side of said knife portion for projectingover the reduced side of said chase,

7. In abox blank creasing and cutting machine, a chase having one sidethereof re duced in thickness, a knife carried by said chase andprojecting over said reduced side, and an adpistable clamp carried bysaid reduced side for retaining said blade in position.

8. In" a 'box blank creasing and cutting machine, a chase having oneside thereof reduced in thickness, a knife carried by-said chase andprojecting over said reduced side, and a pair of clamping blocksadjust-ably mounted on said reduced side one on either 9. In a. boxblank creasing and cutting' machine, a chase having one side reduced inKARL I. HERMAN.

VVit-nesses:

M. L. FARRAR, CHARLES G. Corn.

